Part 35 (1/2)

”Shure, an' I hope not. It's the beautiful s.h.i.+p we have now. If we're afther meetin' a Spaniard it's a great time we'll be havin'.”

”You'll be disappointed, Dan. Spanish s.h.i.+ps are tired of showing themselves in these waters.”

It seemed as if Young Glory was right.

The time pa.s.sed, and though a good lookout was kept, not one of the enemy's fleet hove in sight.

The Cristobal Colon was running along the northern coast of Cuba now.

Since she had parted with the gun-boat she had seen nothing of the latter. No doubt the Nashville was on its way to Key West.

The third day from Porto Rico found the cruiser lying off Mulas. The island jutted out prominently here, and the water being deep, the prize steamed along close in to sh.o.r.e.

”What's that?” asked Dan.

”A town, to be sure.”

”An' it's a quare flag that's flying!”

”It's the Cuban flag. All this coast is in the hands of the insurgents.”

”More power to them!”

”So say I, but what are we doing?”

”Running in to sh.o.r.e, Young Glory, though it's meself can't say why.”

”It's water we want,” said Lieutenant Tyler. ”There's a good landing place here, deep water, and water, too, and as the town is in the hands of the insurgents, it's too good a chance to lose. Put her right in,” he cried. ”We run no risk.”

The seamen were delighted at the prospect. Very few of them had stepped on dry land for many weeks, and it seemed certain that they would have a few hours ash.o.r.e at any rate.

”The patriots will be delighted when they find we've taken the Spanish cruiser, sir.”

”I expect they know it. This boat's a different build to anything in our navy.”

Boom! At this point a gun was fired from sh.o.r.e.

”Giving us a salute!” cried a young officer.

”Of a kind I don't like,” answered the lieutenant in a sharp tone.

”Salutes are all very well, but not when given in the form of a sh.e.l.l.”

The cruiser replied by firing one of its saluting guns.

”No doubt a mistake,” was the lieutenant's comment, ”but very careless not to know that the gun was shotted.”

Boom!

There was a furious shout on the cruiser now. For another gun was fired, and this time a great sh.e.l.l pa.s.sed over the deck, landing in the water about three hundred yards away.